1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power saving mode control performed in a network device that is connected to a network environment and has a predetermined power saving mode function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various network devices including business machines are generally required to reduce electric power consumption from the viewpoint of protecting global environments as well as saving valuable energy sources.
To attain this goal, a conventional network device, such as a digital multi function peripheral, can be automatically controlled to turn its operation into a power saving mode when a predetermined time has passed during a standby condition where the device performs nothing. In the power saving mode, no electric power is supplied to functional sections (e.g., a printing section, a reading section, a display section, and a control section) in the apparatus.
Furthermore, if any packet instructing a normal operation mode is received via a network, the device can return its operation to the normal operation mode while canceling the power saving mode.
The present multi-functionalized network techniques can transmit a large number of packets to each network device. Thus, the network devices may unnecessarily cancel the power saving mode in response to an improper packet. In other words, the network devices cannot maintain the power saving mode for a sufficient time and accordingly cannot reduce electric power consumption as expected. In this respect, some of incoming packets invalidate or weaken the power saving mode function of the network devices.
Hence, the network devices can include a filtering section that can determine whether each incoming packet signal is unnecessary. Furthermore, the network devices can abandon all of unauthorized packets. For example, broadcast packets can be selectively abandoned if predetermined conditions are satisfied. The packets including a specific protocol can be automatically abandoned (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-191570). However, the above-described conventional power saving control techniques for the network devices are so specialized or complicated that many users cannot correctly designate the protocol type.
Furthermore, in consideration of the necessity of protecting the global environments as well as reducing the electric power consumption, many users want to customize the network devices to have an enhanced power saving function robust against improper or unnecessary packets transmitted via the network.